Regulating means for washing machine agitators



'v. HANSON; REGULATING [BANS FDR ASKING CHINE AGI'I'A'I'ORS r1104 June as, 1944 June 17, 1 947.

V9 6 flansozz I P f j Arum/4v :Patented June 17, l9 47 REGULATING'MEANS FOR wssmo moms AGITATORS Veb Hanson, Fairfield, Comm, assignor of twothirds to John N. Ledbetter, Jr., New Yorlt,

Application June 26, 1944, Serial No. 542,088

2 @laims. 1

My invention relates to improvements in regulators for washing machines; especially washing machines for ordinary domestic or family use.

, An object of the invention is to provide a simple and easily operated construction, adapted to be installed in any washing machine of conventional type and to enable the operation oi the machine,

to be controlled according to the nature of the fabric to be cleansed and other working conditions.

hi its preferred form the device comprises an agitator consisting of a hub with vanes thereon, designed to'be fitted upon the upper end of the usual drive shaft in the tank of the machine. On the inside of the huh is a chamber, and rigid with the shaft in said chamber is a piston. The

chamber is filled with wateror other liquid, and as the shaft turns, the piston presses uponsaid fluid and sets the agitator into motion. A suitable valve in thehub controls the passage of the fluid from one side of the piston to the other. This valve has a stern projecting to the exterior of the hub so that it can be set in any desired position. Thus the passage ofthe fluid and the speed of the agitator can be varied.

Other objects and advantages are set out in the following description, and the novel characteristics are defined in the claims. But inpractice many changes may be made in the details of the mechanism herein set forth without deviation from the principle of theinvention.

On said drawings Figure l is a horizontal section of a washingmachine with my invention installed therein; on line il of Figure 2; and

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a detail showing a modification.

The same numerals identify the same parts throughout.

The tank or reservoir of a washingv machine is shown at I. Inside of the tank is an agitator com-' prising a hub 2 carrying fixed vanes 3. The drive shaft 6 extends up into the tank through the bottom, and is turned or oscillated by connection with a suitable source of power. The agitator has a central sleeve 5 therein, and the hub 2 is en-. gaged with this sleeve at both ends of the latter. The upper end of the shaft is squared as indicated by the numeral 6; and the end of the sleeve at the upper part of the hub 2 is likewise made coupling between the hub 2 and member 6. The

hub is preferably hollow and has a chamber a. This is formed by a web 9 across the insideoi the hub, this'web being the top wall of the chamber 8.

, At the bottom the chamber is open,.but is kept closed by a plate it, engaging a shoulder i i, and is held tightly in place by removable fasteners such as bolts or screws. Within the chamber, and

affixed to the sleeve 5 by a key is a piston blade I 2, and engaging the hub of the piston at one .side of the chamber is a fixed abutment l3. This abutment cooperates with the piston to form two compartments. A duct I4 in the abutment connects thetwo compartments and the effective size of the duct is determined by a rotary valve i5 having a port [6 extending through it from side to side. According to the position of this valve the duct I4 is fully open, partly open, or closed, so that communication between the twocompartments of the chamber 8 on both sides of the piston is free, restricted or interrupted. The valve has a stem or controlling member I! which projects from the hub 2 at the top, where it has a knob square as indicated at I; so that it can be operatively engaged by the shaft 2. The lower end of the sleeve is open.

My invention is closely associated with the agitator which contains means constituting a fluid I8 by which the valve can be set. The .chamber 8 is filled with fluid, or drained, through an opening IS in the plate it. The sleeve 5 is free in the upper part of'the hub 2, web 9 and plate W; it goes through the web and plate and the sleeve has the key on it for the piston i2 between them. The agitator is installed by letting it downover the shaft 2, till the squared end of the shaft at the top enters the upper squared end of the sleeve 5. The plate ill of course is detachably engaged with the sleeve.

When the shaft 4 oscillates, the agitator is actuated. The piston i2 presses on the fluid in the chamber 8 and forces it against the abutment it, and the agitator swings from side to side in the tank. When the port l'6 of the valve is out of resistry with the duct 54, the speed of the agitator is a. maximum; because then there is no escape forthe fluid in front of the piston on each stroke. When the valve is turned to open the duct [4 in part, the speed falls, and when the duct [4 is fully opened, the agitator swings very. slowly. Hencethe operation of the machine can be regulated with ease and certainty. All that the housewife or other user of the machine has to do is to manipulate the knob l8, to adjust the element 15.

An agitator of the kind above described can be on the market, without necessitating any alterations in construction or design. The cost of making is not large, the operation is sure, and

the device isv unlikely ever to get .out of order. The chamber, piston and valve can be inspected or repaired by removing the plat 10. When the machine is filled with water, and the water is drained off, the chamber likewise is drained by way of the opening I!) in the closure plat Ill.

The sleeve is free in the hub 2 at the top and in the web 9 and plate 10. Thus it does not have an airtight fit at either point. Hence when the hub is in place on the shaft 4,. and the water is turned on to fill the tank I the fluid will pass in at the aperture l9 and slowly fill the chamber 8; and the air will be forced out between the top of piston 12 and the web 9; the piston fitting loosely enough; between the sleeve 5 and the rim of the hol in the web 9 filled'by the sleeve; and along the outer surface of the tube 5 at the top where it enters the bore or recess 28 in the top of the hub 2; this bore being round. This bore communicates with the outer atmosphere above the water in the tank I through a small duct 2|. When the washing is done and the water drained from the tank I; the chamber 8 also drains by way of the port I9.v This port is quite small and when the piston l2 oscillates, not enough water can be expelled by it through this port to affect the desired operation of the agitator.

In practice the hub of the piston 12 fits easily against the concave end of the abutment, which serves as a seat for this member.

The top of the chamber of the modification shown on Fig. 3 has an air escape duct 25 in an enlargement or thickened part of the web 9. This duct is enlarged at the outer surface of the hub 2 to provide a shoulder or seat for a squared valve 21 with pointed ends. In the enlarged endis screwed a perforated plug 28. The valve can move between this plug and seat, so that air can leave the chamber but no water can enter. As

-the piston moves from sid to side the valve 21 also prevents loss or escape of water from the chamber 8.- Likewise, if desired, a valve may be provided to prevent escape of water through the plate opening l9 as the piston moves. A perforated plug 22 is screwed or otherwise affixed in the opening E9 to mount a disk valve 24 therein. This valve rests on a seat 23, and its upward motion is limited by stops 25 in the plug 22. This in the meanings of the broad and general terms in which the claims are expressed.

Having described my invention, what I believe tobenewis:

1. An agitator for a washing machin havinga hollow hub with vanes thereon, a drive shaft on which the hub is mounted, a, tube surrounding the shaft and secured at its upper end to the shaft, the hub having a chamber surrounding the tube near its lower end; means forming, an abutment at one side of the hub in said chamber, a pistonafiixed to the tube in the chamber, said abutment having a, passage therethrough, valve I means for controlling the size of the passage, and

a valve actuating member connected to said valve means and extending through the hub to a point adjacent the upper part of the agitator, the chamber having an inlet for liquid and means for venting air therefrom.

2. The agitator for washing machines according to claim 1, wherein said chamber also has an admission valve controlling said inlet and the means for venting air comprises a one-way discharge valve.

VEB HANSON.

REFERENCES CITED be following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,072,047 Kirby Feb. 23, 1927 1,715,036 Jamooneau May 28, 1929 2,137,775 Kirby Nov, 22, 1938 887,781 Fischer May 19, 1908 8 Funk Apr. 4,1922

1,702,207 Geddes Feb. 12, 1929 

